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Ixia Introduces New Solution to Put Fifth Generation Wi-Fi to the Test

Revolutionary Approach to IEEE 802.11ac Validation Will Be Demonstrated at Interop 2012

CALABASAS, CA--(Marketwire - Apr 30, 2012) - Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA), the leading global provider of converged IP and wireless network test solutions, announced today that it will unveil support for the fifth generation of Wi-Fi, IEEE 802.11ac, in a revolutionary architecture that creates a much more complete and thorough approach to Wi-Fi device and network validation. Ixia's 802.11ac support will be part of its industry-leading IxVeriWave Wi-Fi suite of products and will be demonstrated at Interop 2012 in Las Vegas, May 5-11, booth #1262.

Wi-Fi is poised to break the gigabit barrier with the introduction of the next generation of the 802.11 standard known as IEEE 802.11ac. This new technology promises to deliver higher bandwidth and improved quality of experience for end users, and is expected to be adopted rapidly into enterprise, residential, and carrier access points. Residential video streaming, data syncing between mobile devices, and data backup will be some of the first applications for 802.11ac's blazing fast speed.

However, delivering breakthrough 802.11ac performance requires superior and flawless chipset and Wi-Fi access point design. 802.11ac introduces many new technology innovations, and the complexity of 802.11ac will push developers to stretch the precision of their designs requiring a rethinking of the traditional approach to testing. Design flaws and performance issues can cost organizations millions in product re-spins or lost sales. Spotting issues, early in the design and development cycle is imperative. Developers must have the proper tools to quickly pinpoint hard-to-discover performance issues to a specific function of the hardware, from the RF layer, all the way up to the application switching layer.

Ixia has developed an architecture that creates a much more complete and thorough approach to Wi-Fi device validation. Three main innovations separate Ixia's new solution from traditional test approaches:

Revolutionary three-in-one architecture that integrates RF testing, impairment tools, and traffic generation into a single solution. It is the only solution in the industry that can test the key RF parameters (e.g. EVM, flatness, and I/Q gain, and phase error), generate full rate 802.11ac traffic, and model environmental RF conditions. This new approach saves the time and cost of buying, learning, and using multiple discreet components otherwise needed to do the same job. It is also the only way to analyze the performance and functionality of each layer (RF to application) of an 802.11ac design to fully validate the system.

RF measurements in real-time on every packet. Ixia's solution analyzes every single frame and provides real time measurements. Existing Vector Signal Analyzer approaches that sample the RF signal into memory buffers and then process results offline make uncovering performance and design flaws tedious and unlikely.

Integrated channel modeling for each client. Ixia is the only solution that enables applying a different RF channel model to each of the 500 emulated clients. This approach fully exercises chipset signal recovery algorithms by emulating a real-world scenario where radio conditions vary from device to device.

The new 802.11ac solution will be featured as part of Ixia's IxVeriWave product line. IxVeriWave's tools are specifically designed to test Wi-Fi devices and wireless LAN networks using a client-centric model. This approach delivers repeatable, large-scale, real-world test scenarios which are virtually impossible to create by any other means.

Ixia's IxVeriWave solutions test Wi-Fi devices and wireless LAN networks using a unique client-centric model that precisely measures the real-world behavior of mobile devices, their impact on other devices, and overall network performance.

Quotes:

"5G Wi-Fi powered by IEEE 802.11ac, provides new innovations that enable more reliable whole home coverage for consumers to stream digital content between devices faster, while simultaneously connecting more wireless devices," said Bryan Richter, Director of Hardware Development Engineering, Mobile & Wireless Group at Broadcom. "Innovations in 802.11ac test systems, such as those by Ixia, are critical for developing a complete and robust 5G Wi-Fi eco system."

"To realize the performance and density gains 802.11ac promises, chip and hardware developers must navigate significant technical challenges," said Joe Zeto, Sr. Manager, Market Development at Ixia. "Ixia has developed a revolutionary architecture that creates a much more complete and thorough approach to Wi-Fi device validation. This approach is critical for organizations seeking to build high performing AC chipsets and access points."